The Huntress
by Purplemoonsong
Summary: The second story in the Strolling in Skyrim series. Set in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. A Breton named Britta sails to Winterhold after being banished by her murderous mother. This is based off an actual adventure in Skyrim, which had a set of rules to it. This is a crackfic, and is not meant to be written in a very formal tone.
1. Prologue: Rules

These are the rules that I controlled my character by.

1. Act like an NPC (I'm here to live in Skyrim)

2. Eat and sleep regularly

3. No fast travel

4. Don't reload a previously saved game if things don't go my way


	2. Chapter One - Banishment

I suppose I could call me being sent to Skyrim as banishment. Actually, banishment wasn't far from the truth. But I was so glad to leave High Rock that it really can't be true banishment.

I loved my father. When I was young, I sat upon his lap, and he'd tell me stories. When I grew older, he took me to the forests and taught me to hunt. I never could best him, but he was proud of me.

But that happy time did not last long. A few years after I began my archery lessons, Father died mysteriously. At least, it was mysterious to everyone outside of my house. I knew how he died. My mother knew, too.

I was sharpening an arrow in my room when I heard her scream. I dropped the arrow I was sharpening, and ran towards where the sound was coming from. I ran into my father's room. I found him lying on the ground. Blood stained the corners of his mouth, and his eyes were empty. With a chill, I realized he was dead.

My mother was a different matter. Though she was screaming at the gods, asking them why he had to die, I saw a glimmer of triumph in her eyes. Just as I ran in, I saw her tucking a bottle into her dress. I knew, in that instant, that she killed him.

I understood why, too. A wealthy man offered to marry her a week after he died. She accepted, and our lives changed. Hers for the better, and mine for the worse.

She ate well, dressed grandly, and lived extravagantly. I, on the other hand, was abused. I was often thrown into the night while they were entertaining guests. My stepfather chose to ignore this. My mother did it on purpose. I hunted during those cold nights, in my rough tunic and old, worn shoes. My fingers were often so cold that I was unable to draw back the string of my bow properly.

I anticipated her next move, and I was correct. A month after their marriage, my stepfather died too. Again, it was mysterious to all outside our household. My mother began to take control of our riches, and she invited my newly widowed aunt, and her children to come live with us.

I could tell that my mother loved my aunt's children more than me. She spoiled them, while I was still thrown out into the night. It grew worse, and worse, until my mother finally announced that she was disowning me, and sending me to Skyrim, away from High Rock. I could not have been happier.

And so, dressed in a rough tunic and old shoes, with only my long bow, forty iron arrows, an iron dagger, and a hundred coins, I set out for Skyrim. My mother came to hug me, when she was sending me off. But I caught the glimpse of a dagger in her cloak, and I put an arrow to the string of my bow, and warned her to come no closer.

And here I am in Winterhold. Dressed in a now travel-worn tunic and shoes, with my long bow, forty iron arrows, an iron dagger, and a hundred coins, I stand on the road leading to Winterhold. I pick five snowberries on the way into the village. I eat one for breakfast, then I stumble into the Frozen Hearth, hoping for a warm fire and maybe some food.

I see two men arguing, but I'm too busy warming my cold hands. When I'm done, I talk to the innkeeper for any leads he has for work, and I ask about any rumors he's heard. A bounty for bandits, a little boy trying to contact a group of assassins, a shrine, a mage's college… Maybe I'll visit the boy. But first, I need to talk to Ranmir. Apparently, he owes the innkeeper a lot of money.

I walk over to Ranmir. He refuses to listen when I try to persuade him, and I can't pay off his debt for him. So, I try to intimidate him. He gets angry, and begins fighting me. Luckily, I win the fight, and he agrees to pay. The innkeeper's wife gives me a shield and a sword when I report back to her. She also agrees to give me whatever I want in the inn, within reason. I go around, taking food, and some nice clothes and fine boots.

Now I think I'm ready to go see that boy that was contacting the Dark Brotherhood. What was his name? Ah, Aventus Aretino. He lives in Windhelm. That's good. I was planning to visit Windhelm after Winterhold.

I leave the Frozen Hearth, and I begin my journey to Windhelm. Before I even leave the sight of Winterhold, I see a wolf. Suddenly, I realize that I have no armor. I hurriedly run back to Winterhold. I open the door to another shop, Birna's Oddments.

She doesn't have much armor to sell, and she keeps ranting about a claw and some ancient tomb. It sounds far to dangerous for me at this stage. I buy some hide boots, and eat a tomato for lunch. I use Birna's cooking pot to make a pheasant roast, and a rabbit haunch. Then, I leave her store, and enter the Jarl's longhouse.

After talking to the Jarl for a little, I decide to leave Winterhold, and go to Windhelm. I leave the village, cut down two wolves and a goat, and walk towards the coast. On my way down, I kill a snow fox, and take its pelt.

As I reach the coastline, I see the wreckage of a ship. I swim towards it, wondering if I will find anything useful. Unfortunately, there are bandits.

I manage to kill the female bandit, and I take her armor and weapons. Then, I face off against the bandit chief. I kill him, too, and I take his armor and weapons as well. A wolf decides that he wants to attack me, so I kill it, too.

I head back to the bandit camp, and unlock one of the chests. I find a shield, some gold, and a silver garnet ring. I take all of it. I use the cooking spit to make myself a horker loaf, and I use the tanning rack they set up. I loot everything else from the bandit camp, and then realize that I'm tired. Fighting those bandits really took my strength. I lie down in one of their bedrolls, and I fall asleep.


	3. Chapter Two - A Long Journey

After braving some wolves, a horker, and avoiding another shipwreck and some slaughterfish, I finally see the walls of Windhelm looming before me. But before I can get there, I'm attacked by several bandits.

I'm in no shape to go against them. I just finished off a horker! I sprint away from them, but I'm tired, so I eventually slow down. But I keep running away. When I reach the Windhelm docks, I stop and catch my breath. I glance back at the bandits, and almost laugh out loud with delight. Two horkers are attacking the bandits! Go horkers! Kill them, and I'll kill you, so I can loot all of you!

Then, the horkers die.

I groan, and shoot down a bandit. I walk around the whole of Windhelm, looking for the door. When I come back to the docks, the bandits are gone. I loot the horkers, and the fallen bandit. I realize that the great doors to Windhelm are actually right next to the docks. I proceed towards the doors, looting several barrels. The dock workers will find their vegetables missing, and their fish.

I easily pick the lock to the Aretino Residence, and walk in. I hear him praying to someone called the Night Mother. When he sees me, he seems excited. He mistakes me for an assassin from the Dark Brotherhood, and asks me to kill Grelod the Kind. She's in Honorhall Orphanage, which is in Riften. When asked why he wanted her dead, he stated that she was a cruel woman, and her name was ironic.

I'm in no mood to just follow some little boy's orders and kill someone in Riften. It's along the coast, but a long journey. I'll stay in Windhelm a bit, and then go to the next city on the coast.

I eat a potato for lunch, then set out looking for shops. On my way, I meet a beggar, and give him a gold coin.

When I reach the smithy, I buy two iron ingots, and make myself some iron gauntlets. Then, I walk into a shop next to the smithy, the White Phial.

The two shopkeepers are arguing, but I ignore them, and make myself a potion that resists fire. Then, I leave the shop, and decide to try to find a place to stay for the night.

I walk around for a bit, and find Candlehearth Hall. I eat a tomato for dinner, and go to sleep.

I awake feeling well rested. I eat a tomato for breakfast, and leave Candlehearth Hall. I decide to leave Windhelm, and go on to Riften. thus following the little boy's orders, which irks me slightly. However, there's nothing else to do in Windhelm, so I'm perfectly happy to leave. But first, I'm going to stop by the two farms that have been mentioned by some of the people in Windhelm.

As I travel to Hlaalu Farm, I pick some mountain flowers, and some snowberries. When I reach the farm, I harvest the wheat they have, then proceed to go into the house. There is nothing interesting, so I cook myself some food, and leave.

The next farm is Hollyfrost Farm. I take the snowberries and wheat, and leave. Now, I begin my journey to Riften!

On my way to Riften, I chance upon Brandy-Mug Farm. I harvest their wheat, too, and continue my journey.

As I walk around, gathering plants for alchemy, I stop to talk with a woman. She calls me a milk drinker, which angers me. However, I keep my temper, and try to persuade her to leave me in peace. This seems to work for about five seconds. Then, she turns, and attacks me. After a brief fight, I kill her, and loot her. No big deal.

I keep walking along the roads. Soon enough, I see a giant bonfire in front of me. And a mammoth. Mammoths and a giant bonfire? No doubt about it. It's a giant's home.

I sneak around it, getting attacked by two skeevers on the way. I kill them, and continue walking. I get attacked by two more skeevers, and a wolf. This is getting old. I slaughter them. Then, I meet some Redguard warriors pestering a woman, but I ignore them and keep walking. I have three tomatoes for lunch, and continue my journey.

I see a dead rabbit on the ground. I loot it, and then I look up. A wolf is chasing a fox. It kills the fox, and I kill the wolf. I loot both of them, and kill the two other wolves who decide they want to make a meal out of me. This is getting annoying.

I meet up with a farmer, who says he wants to join the Stormcloak rebellion. What are they rebelling against?

Soon after I meet with the farmer, a thief decides he wants my gold. We fight, and I kill him. I take his stuff, and continue my journey. I chance upon a man on a pilgrimage, and I eat two cabbages for dinner. I'll need to find somewhere to sleep soon.

An Argonian stops me, trying to sell me some skooma. It's expensive, so I don't take it. I meet a frightened woman trying to get me to kill bandits. Then, I reach Riften. Finally!

When I try to go into the city, the guard tells me that I have to pay a visitor's fee. However, I persuade him not to, and he lets me in.

I go into the inn, the Bee and Barb. I rent a room, and sleep.


	4. Chapter Three - Confrontation

I wake up, and leave the Bee and Barb. I explore Riften for a while, seeing Haelga's bunkhouse, and the Temple of Mara. In both places, someone gives me a task to do. I ignore them, and I decide to follow that Arentino boy's instructions, and kill Grelod the Kind, in Honorhall Orphanage.

I kill her, and promptly leave the orphanage. When I was at Haelga's bunkhouse, Svana, Haelga's niece, gave me a task. She told me that Haelga slept with three different men in the last month, and gave them a mark of Dibella. She wants me to find the men, and take their marks.

I pickpocket Indaryn's mark off him. Then, I eat a cabbage for lunch. I brawl with Hofgrir Horse-Crusher, and then I pickpocket his mark off him. Now, only Bolli remains.

When I search for him, I find that he is in his house. I go around his house, and find a letter to Bolli, telling him that Nivenor, his wife, may be committing adultery. That's interesting…

However, Bolli won't be intimidated or persuaded to give me his mark, and there's only a twenty-four percent chance of pickpocketing it from him, so I decide to do the task I gained from the Temple of Mara. They asked me to help someone with their love life. A woman, Fastred, in Ivarstead. I eat a potato for lunch, and begin my journey.

I pass through Fort Greenwall, killing the bandits that reside there. I slaughter a novice storm mage as I continue my journey.

I begin trekking up a small hill to take a shortcut to Ivarstead. I'm attacked by two wolves. I kill them, but I contract a disease, called rockjoint. Because of it, I'm twenty-five percent less effective with melee weapons. I need to get myself healed. I've heard that getting a blessing from a shrine heals diseases.

I pass a watchtower, and see two Stormcloak soldiers lying on the ground. They're very hurt, and I can't do anything to help them. I don't want to kill them, so I leave.

As I approach Ivarstead, I'm attacked by two treasure hunters. I kill them, and reach Ivarstead. I take all the wheat, cabbage, and potato from a farm, and then I talk to Fastred. She wants me to talk to her parents, so I head towards her house.

I talk to her mother, Boti, and she says she wants Fastred to be happy. She says that she can handle Fastred's father. So, I head to where her father is. He thinks that she'll get over him, so I talk to her lover, Bassianus. I tell him he can elope with Fastred, so he leaves to make plans with her. I leave them, eat a tomato for dinner, and go to Vilemyr Inn to rent a room. I immediately go to sleep.

The next morning, I awake, and begin walking to Riften again. As I keep walking, I suddenly see a bright light in front of me. When I investigate, I see that the light is coming from several plants. Nirnroots! I pick them all, and realize that I'm in a farm. A woman tells me she was cultivating the nirnroots. While she's saying that, I take her wheat and potatoes. Then, I leave, after being told that she needs some grapes.

After traveling for a while, I see another farm, and I take everything as well. Then, I reach Riften. I run into the Temple of Mara, back to Dinya Balu, who gave me the task. She thanks me, and tells me to go to Calcemo, in Markarth. However, I want to go to a shop first, as Markarth is rather far away.

The shop I wish to go to is Elgrim's Elixirs. On my way there, a man stops me, trying to get me to listen to a scheme of his. I tell him that I'll meet him later, as the scheme involves gold. But maybe I won't even meet him.

When I reach the shop, I go to the alchemy lab and make a few potions. Then, I use their cooking pot to make some food, and I leave after eating a tomato for lunch.

One of the guards says that there is a house up for purchasing. He tells me to go to talk to the steward, in Mistveil Keep. And so I go there. I use their arcane enchanter, and then I approach the steward. But she doesn't seem to want to talk about the house. In fury, I stomp out of the keep.

I suppose I should go back to Windhelm, to see that Aretino boy. But first, I'm going to try pickpocketing Bolli again…

I did it! I got it from him! Now, all that remains is to confront Haelga. I inspect her bedroom, with no luck. However, I notice that her bed has shackles on it, presumably used when she's sleeping with men. Also, there's a note on the counter about her secret lover. Haelga's a disgusting woman.

When I confront her in the Bee and Barb, she begs me not to say anything. She takes the marks, and I leave, and go to Svana. Svana thanks me, and gives me some iron gauntlets.

Now, I think it's time to go back to that Aretino boy.


	5. Chapter Five - A Plate and Love

As I leave Haelga's bunkhouse, I realize that my backpack is so filled with things that I can barely move. And as it is already dark, I see no harm in going to the inn, sleeping, and going to sell some of the things I do not need.

But first, I examine the gauntlets that Svana gave me. I realize that they are enchanted so that I can be better at smithing. Hm… I shall keep that.

Stifling a yawn, I plod towards the Bee and Barb very slowly. I approach the innkeeper, an Argonian named Kreerava, who tells me to either pay for a room, or leave. How rude!

But I pay her ten coins for my room, and she brings me up the stairs and into it. It's tiny, with only a battered chest, a chair, and a bed.

Exhausted, I collapse onto the bed, and allow sleep to take me.

When I awake, I treat myself to a bottle of ale and a bowl of apple cabbage stew. With my belly filled with warm food, I leave the inn and go towards the market.

I approach the first shopkeeper I come by. His name is Brand-Shei, a rather unusual name for a Dark Elf. I sell him the iron gauntlets I have that are not enchanted, along with two silver rings. However, my backpack is still too heavy.

I decide to look at all the strange ingredients I have picked up. For some of them, I know a little of their different properties, but others are totally new.

I eat a nirnroot, only to realize that it damages me when a few cuts open up on my body. I decide to go find another alchemy station, to make more potions, and hopefully rid myself of these troublesome ingredients.

I've heard that there in the palaces of each great hold capitol, there are alchemy stations. So, naturally, I go to Mistveil Keep, the palace in Riften. I create a couple of potions, but my backpack is still heavy. I'm about to leave when I see a blue glow coming from a table. I realize that it is an arcane enchanter. I have my iron gauntlets, so I disenchant them. However, enchanting something requires me to get a soul gem. Where am I supposed to get a soul gem? They are really expensive!

Luckily for me, when I create another potion, my backpack lightens up to a weight where I can actually run with it. And I did have plans to go to Windhelm to find that Avenir boy… so I shall go.

I leave Riften, and begin my journey towards Windhelm.

Nothing eventful happens until I catch sight of a deer and an elf. I chase the elk, but it gets away from me. Sadly, I go back to the main road, and continue my journey, disappointed in the loss of the fresh meat.

I see another elk running towards me, and I draw my war axe, hoping to kill it this time. But before I can swing at it, I see a lithe shape running towards the elk. A wolf! I slash at it, and manage to kill it.

As I continue on my way, I leave the road in order to harvest an interesting type of mushroom growing on a tree, and pick some flowers, which turn out to be the deadly nightshade. When I look up, I see a pair of goats in front of me.

I smile, inching towards them in the hope that this time, I will kill them. But unfortunately, two wolves set upon a goat, and I am forced to slay all three of them. Skinning one wolf yields two gold, which is quite surprising to me. Did he eat the gold pieces?

I keep walking, and see a dead wolf in front of me. I immediately look around, and see someone running towards me at top speed.

She slashes at me.

I react, defensively parrying her next strike. We trade blows for a few moments, and soon, she lies dead at my feet.

I loot her, removing all her possessions, and I find a note from the Dark Brotherhood, a notorious society responsible for the assassination of many people all around Tamriel. Someone wants me dead!

Happily for me, the rest of the trip is without event. I enter Windhelm, exhausted, at ten o'clock at night. I drag myself into the inn, and deposit ten coins into the innkeeper's hand for a room.

The room she leads me to has several potions, and I take them. The wardrobe also contains clothes, which I happily take. Perhaps I can sell them.

I drink three bottles of ale for my dinner, and fall onto my bed.

For breakfast the next morning, I down a few bottles of alto wine, and decide to go to the marketplace. I sell my wolf pelts, some bottles of alto wine, and I purchase a new pair of gauntlets.

After this, I immediately go to Aventus Arentino's house. He gives me a plate in return for my killing of Grelod the Kind. Really? Just a plate? How about a thousand gold?

I go back to the market and sell the plate. I consult the notebook I have, and decide to do what Dinya Balu asked me to do: go see Calcemo, in Markarth, about his love life.

Joy.

Luckily, the trek isn't that bad, and I manage to get to Markarth in about a day. Calcemo is in Understone Keep, and so I enter it. The first thing I see is a priest and strong-looking man arguing. Neither of them is Calcemo, so I keep going, trying to find him.

The first thing Calcemo does when I try to talk to him is shout at me for disrupting his work. Geez, if you don't want Mara's help…

But then he calms down, and tells me all about his plight with the "lovely" Faleen. He begs me to get advice from Yngvar, because apparently Yngvar is very popular with the ladies. But since I have to help him, I agree. I leave Understone Keep, and begin searching for this Yngvar.

I see Yngvar arguing with a priest of some sort, so I interrupt them and talk to Yngvar. He tells me that Faleen has a soft spot for poetry, and offers to give me a poem he wrote for two hundred gold pieces. Well, Mara commands me, and so on and so forth, so I buy the poem. Yngvar suggests that I bring the poem to Faleen directly, and so I begin my search for Faleen.

But before I leave, a courier approaches me and delivers a mysterious note. I open it, only to see a black handprint on the parchment. Below it, are two words: _we know_.

I shrug, and enter Understone Keep to find Faleen after eating a bowl of apple cabbage stew.

When I first tell Faleen that Calcemo is interested in her, she seems dubious, and believes that he is merely interested in his work. After giving her the poem that Yngvar wrote, Faleen asks me to give Calcemo a note as well. Really! I'm not a courier, for Sovngarde's sake!

But I deliver the note to Calcemo. After reading it, he tells me that he must see her, and runs off. Mara commands me, and so on and so forth, so I follow him.

After a brief exchange with Faleen, they both leave with smiles on their faces. Good. Now all I have to do is return to Dinya Balu… oh wait, she's in Riften!

I sigh, but begin my journey to Riften.

Luckily, it is uneventful, so I arrive at Riften in a day. I enter the Temple of Mara, and go to Dinya Balu. She praises me, gives me an amulet of Mara, and tells me to go see the long-dead lover. Great, another thing to do!

Another priest tells me of the marriage in Skyrim, and I donate five gold to the Temple.

My journey to the long-dead lover is thankfully shorter than my journey from Markarth to Riften, and just as uneventful.

I stop at a ghost of a woman named Ruki, who claims that she can see bodies all around her. She demands that I find her Fenrig. Can't you hire someone else to do this? Ugh…

But I begin my search, collecting lavender and tundra cotton all the while.

Suddenly, a man I recognize runs up to me.

"You!" I cry out. "What are you doing here?"

"Helping your Mother end this!" He snarls back, trying to slash at me.

However, I overpower him, and kill him. I take a silver necklace off his body, and continue my search for Fenrig.

Soon, I see a shimmer white light in front of me. A ghost! It must be Fenrig! I offer to lead him to Ruki, and he accepts, so I lead the way to his wife. Before we trek back to her, I eat another apple cabbage stew. I am getting quite tired of them…

When we reach Ruki again, they begin to talk, and finally, they float up into the air, and disappear. Hm… I wonder why.

I travel back to Riften, and Dinya Balu commands me to give out twenty pamphlets to people, because apparently, they need to be reminded of Mara's warmth.

When I finish, it is nighttime, so I go to the inn, and pay for my room, and eat an apple pie for dinner. Then, I go to sleep.


	6. Chapter Six - The Dark Brotherhood

When I awaken, I look around groggily. Wait… this isn't the inn! I didn't fall asleep here…

"Sleep well?" A female voice says, soothingly.

I look up to see a woman dressed in leather armor with a cowl on her head, hiding her features from me.

"What? Where am I? Who are you?" I ask.

She then proceeds to monologue about Grelod the Kind. What, so you're mad I killed the old hag? She was practically abusing the children!

She then urges me to go kill one of the other people in the room.

Hah! I've killed countless people, some my own kin. My stupid mother, always demanding others to come kill me… they should know by now that I'm not that easily killed.

When I turn away from the woman, I see three people. A Khajit, a woman, and a man. Huh. I'll kill all of them!

Without bothering to ask them their story, I aim my bow and shoot.

Three people fall dead.

The woman reveals herself to be Astrid, and congratulates me on my kills. She then demands that I join her "family." The Dark Brotherhood.

Yes! This is the opportunity of a lifetime! My family can't stand a chance against my new "family."

I leave the shack where I am, and begin my journey to the headquarters of the Dark Brotherhood. But first, I eat an entire wheel of Eidar cheese. I wash it down with some Black-Briar Mead.

It's very late at night, but what can I do? There's no shelter anywhere in sight, so I eat another wheel of cheese to keep my strength up and plod on.

Finally, after collecting numerous plants, I come to the little village of Morthal. I tiredly listen in on a conversation, and follow one of the people to the Moorside Inn.

I rent a room, and collapse onto the bed.

At eight in the morning, I decide I need to sell some stuff. I leave the inn, and decide to find a place where I can mix more potions. I eat a wheel of Eidar cheese while I walk.

I find a Thaumaturgist's Hut, and go in.

After making a few potions and selling a few, I leave Morthal.

As I walk off the path and into the wilderness, I am greeted by an ice wolf. It seems much harder to kill, and soon I'm losing large amounts of health. I desperately swallow down the contents of a potion of health.

I manage to kill it, and soon enough I have its pelt safely tucked into my backpack. I keep walking.

I meet some practically naked revelers, and drink some Honningbrew Mead with them.

After several days of travel, I reach the entrance to the sanctuary of the Dark Brotherhood.

I whisper the password to the black door, and enter.

Astrid greets me, and tells me to go find a certain Nazir.

Well this is interesting.


End file.
